Category Archives: MidHudson Regional Hospital

Mackenzie’s Story: A Three-Year-Old Fights for Her Life with the Help of a Compassionate, Dedicated and Highly Skilled Care Team

Mackenzie continues to inspire everyone around her with joy that shines through her continued challenges that include loss of her sight and ongoing surgeries.

Three-year-old Mackenzie was prescribed antibiotics for a routine ear infection. No one could have imagined that this simple treatment would trigger a severe reaction, sending her to The Herb and Sue Ann Redl Pediatric Emergency Department at MidHudson Regional Hospital. As blisters and swelling rapidly spread across her tiny body, the team moved quickly to stabilize and comfort her. Mackenzie’s condition required more specialized care. She was transferred to WMCHealth’s Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, home to the region’s only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Doctors diagnosed Mackenzie with Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis — a rare and life-threatening disorder that affected not only her skin but also her mouth, throat and eyes. Mackenzie spent four months in the hospital bravely fighting for her life. Today, she is back home, with her six siblings and mother as she continues to captivate them with her infections smile, unstoppable spirit and love for singing and dancing. We hope you will consider making a gift to help ensure that children like Mackenzie receive life-saving care when they need it most. Please give to MidHudson Regional Hospital and Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital today!

Please give to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital or MidHudson Regional Hospital today!

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Lisa’s Story: Compassionate Care from Behavioral Health at MidHudson Regional Hospital Inspires Her to Help Others

Lisa Ricci is grateful to WMC Health’s Behavioral Health Center at MidHudson Regional Hospital for helping her to overcome mental health issues and giving her the chance to help others who struggle with addiction and mental illness.

Lisa, 38, of Pleasant Valley, was 14 years old when she began to feel the urge to harm herself. But it wasn’t until she was 24 and had a serious traumatic experience that she became unstable. She was first hospitalized in 2010 and over the next year was hospitalized three times. Eventually, Lisa entered an intensive outpatient program at HealthAlliance Hospital where she was able to get the help she needed to turn her life around.

Today, Lisa is a mentor and group leader with People USA and leads a peer group at MidHudson Regional Hospital three days a week. She recently earned her certification as a recovery peer advocate.

“I advocate for people with mental health issues and substance abuse. It’s very rewarding. What I have to offer is very special because I can say ‘I get it. I know what it’s like to be there.’”

Now, Lisa is the one who is helping others turn their lives around. Are there days when she feels down? Yes, she says.

“Recovery is not aways linear,” she said. “But now I have the skills to cope with the challenges.”

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Andrew’s Story: College Student Gets Back on Track with Therapy at MidHudson Behavioral Center

Andrew is grateful for the treatment he receives from the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence at MidHudson Regional Hospital. As a new college student at a nearby school, Andrew felt lost. He found himself sinking deeper and deeper and didn’t know where to turn. His sessions with Marshal Sheldon, a mental health therapist at MidHudson Regional Hospital helped him to put things in perspective and refocus his priorities. Working with Marshall, Andrew gained insight and skills to cope with depression and anxiety.

“I found it really hard to find my place. So, I ended up spending a lot of time on wrong priorities when I should have been focusing on doing well in my classes,” he said. “I ended up isolating and making it so much worse by cutting myself off from everybody.  Until I started talking to Marshall, I never really made an actual connection with someone. I feel like I can talk to him on more personal level.’’

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Wendy’s Story: New Parkinson’s Treatment at MidHudson Hospital Gives Patient More Freedom

Wendy McCarthy of Millbrook has her life back thanks to a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease that is giving her more personal freedom.

When Wendy, 67, received her diagnosis seven years ago, her doctors prescribed medications to control her symptoms. As the disease progressed, she required larger doses. Due to an unfortunate side effect of the medication, Wendy began experiencing involuntary movement, which made everyday tasks difficult and hindered her ability to travel, something she really enjoys.

Wendy’s care team at MidHudson Regional Hospital recognized she would be a great candidate for deep brain stimulation — surgically implanting electrodes in regions of the brain affected by Parkinson’s. Wendy was the first patient at Westchester Medical Center to have this procedure, which has greatly reduced her symptoms.

“The care I receive at Westchester Medical Center and MidHudson Regional Hospital is phenomenal. The staff at both hospitals work as a team and they have all my information in the system, which makes visits a lot easier. And the best part is I don’t have to go all the way to New York City.”

This treatment has allowed Wendy to continue to travel the world, with plans to visit her family in Greece this spring.

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Chase’s Story: Beacon Boy Recovers After Emergency Brain Surgery

Jeanine Geiser of Beacon and her husband Jason are grateful that healthcare professionals at Maria Fareri Children’s Services at MidHudson Regional Hospital immediately recognized that Chase, their eight-year-old son, needed advanced care. He was swiftly transferred to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla.  

What appeared to be a simple cold was actually sinusitis so severe that the infection entered Chase’s brain and caused him to suffer a stroke. During his monthlong stay in the hospital, Chase underwent multiple surgeries, spending significant time in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.  

Thanks to the care he received at both hospitals, Chase returned home and continues to recover. His mom reports he is thriving.  

“I can’t say enough about the staff at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital,” said Jeanine. “The doctors were on top of everything from the second we came into the ER. From the security guards and nurses to the child life specialists, everyone was so sweet and checked not only on Chase, but our whole family every day.”

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